Legislation Passed – 101st GA

SB25, also known as the Reproductive Healthcare Act, protects Illinois women’s right to access reproductive healthcare, including access to abortion services, consistent with existing federal law under Roe v. Wade.

Requiring employees to provide a salary history disproportionately hurts women’s pay, exacerbating the gender wage gap.  HB834 would prohibit employers from requiring or requesting salary history, directly or from previous employers, creating a more level playing field for women in the workplace.

SB75 is truly groundbreaking legislation that works to prevent harassment and discrimination in the workplace.  It limits the use of non-disclosure clauses that prevent victims of harassment from coming forward, requires employers to hold annual sexual harassment training, and requires disclosure for relevant information to the Illinois Department of Human Rights.

SB1300 directly confronts Illinois’ pension crisis, consolidating roughly 650 suburban and downstate police and fire funds into two statewide funds.  This streamlines administration, lowers overhead costs, and allows for greater returns on investment, working to get our state’s finances back on track.

These bills require that insurers cover reasonable costs of preventative care or treatment, including EpiPens (HB3435), screenings for skin cancer (HB3113), and diagnostic mammograms (SB162).

The costs of healthcare continue to rise, creating difficult decisions for many families and small businesses.  To combat that, HB465 creates a regulatory framework for pharmacy benefit manager products (PBM), protects emergency room patients from being denied coverage, and requires healthcare companies to honor third-party payments, discounts, and vouchers.

The cost of insulin has increased dramatically in recent years not because of shortage or research costs, but because some major pharmaceutical companies arbitrarily raised the price.  SB667 caps the total monthly cost of insulin at $100 for anyone covered by state-regulated commercial insurance programs, alleviating the financial devastation that the huge cost increased has caused for many Illinois families.

The recent rise in the use e-cigarettes (“vapes”) among young people has offset decades of progress in cutting the use of nicotine products for minors.  HB345 raises the minimum age to purchase tobacco products, e-cigarettes, and other alternative nicotine products from 18 to 21.

SB1847 requires that the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to provide notice to a district’s state legislators when a new air pollution permit is proposed, allowing the public to provide feedback about the proposal before it becomes a reality.

When immigrant parents are detained or deported, their children can be at risk of becoming separated and put into government custody.  HB836 creates a streamlined process for immigrant parents to designate a guardian for their children in the event the parent is detained, deported, or otherwise separated from their children.

Federal law provides a special immigrant juvenile classification for unmarried youth under 21 years of age if someone has been subject to state juvenile court proceedings related to abuse, neglect, or abandonment.  HB1553 aligns Illinois law with federal law, empowering Illinois courts to issue the legal findings that immigrant children who have suffered abuse, neglect, or abandonment need to apply for a Special Immigrant Juvenile Visa.

SB1429 establishes that evidence of immigration is inadmissible in court proceedings unless essential to prove an element of the claim, creating an environment wherein victims with undocumented statuses feel comfortable reporting cases of domestic abuse and other crimes.

HB3097 creates an education program for medical professionals, in order to provide unbiased, objective information about pharmaceuticals.

The Retention of Illinois Students and Equity Act (RISE Act), HB2691, affirms Illinois’ commitment to equality in access to education.  It lifts current caps and provides that Illinois resident students who don’t qualify for federal aid, including Dreamers and transgender students, are eligible for student aid funded or administered by state/public universities and colleges.

Breaches in databases that store personal and financial information can be devastating to those who find their identities or finances stolen.  SB1624 provides that any database that impacts a significant number of Illinois residents must report to the Illinois Attorney General, who then reports to the Illinois General Assembly.